Do you want to plan a memorable road trip but looking for something different? When you need inspiration, look no further than popular movies. Throughout the years, there have been numerous road trip movies where characters traveled across the country to unique, awe-inspiring or just plain fun locations. There are plenty of ways to capture the spirit of these movies while having a vacation you and your family/friends will talk about for years to come.
Easy Rider
Mubi
This is the gold standard for movies about road trips. This trip will take you from Ballarat, California to Krotz Springs, and along the way, you will pass through Las Vegas and Dallas. To see everything Wyatt and Billy experienced, the whole trip should take you about 38 hours to complete.
If you really want to capture the spirit of Easy Rider, then you should make sure to visit The Mittens, located in Arizona. You should also make sure to take time to chat around a campfire, and if you feel particularly rebellious, then try driving through a parade on your motorcycle.
Little Miss Sunshine
Ecufilmfestival
Hopefully, you will not have to give your vehicle a push start as you drive from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Redondo Beach, California like the Hoover family did in Little Miss Sunshine. In total, you will cover 810 miles on a trip that should take you about 12 hours to complete if you drive non-stop.
Visit a beauty pageant along the way to see if any of the contestants dance to “Superfreak.” It is also a great opportunity to visit the Petrified Forest National Park.
Dumb and Dumber
You probably do not have a Ford Econoline decorated as a giant dog to travel across the country, but you can have a great experience by traveling from Providence, Rhode Island to Aspen. It is a great chance to see a large part of America’s heartland as you will drive through Nebraska and Iowa.
Skiing in Aspen will serve as a great, fun end to your trip. If you are the one driving, then you just need to pray no one wants to show you the most annoying sound in the world.
National Lampoon’s Vacation
GQ
No list of road trip movies would be complete without National Lampoon’s Vacation. Follow in the footsteps of the Griswold family by driving from Chicago to Southern California to bond with your family.
Wally World may not exist, but you can end your trip at Six Flags Magic Mountain to ride rollercoasters all day long. This trip is a great way to see St. Louis and the Grand Canyon. You will definitely want to block out a couple weeks if you want to recreate this classic movie.
Other popular road trip movies with great routes include Rainman, Due Date, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, among many others. Check out this ultimate road trip movie map.
Before embarking on any road trip, you want to make sure you have your vehicle inspected by a professional mechanic. Have plenty of wiper fluid and jumper cables on-hand just in case. It may be a good idea to sign up for AAA prior to your trip, so you can receive assistance if something does happen while you are on the road. Let us know about your road trip experiences in the comments below.